AI agent safety checklist

For anyone connecting an AI agent to a broker or exchange. Education only. Updated Oct 22, 2026.

⚠ You are responsible for trades your agent places.

You are responsible for every trade your agent places. TraderStacks explains how the software works; this is not investment advice, and nothing here suggests what to buy, sell or when. Agents can make mistakes, and you can lose money. This checklist is general education, not investment, legal or security advice.

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Before connecting

Use a separate agent account or isolated portfolio
Give the agent its own account or portfolio, not your main one, so its trading is kept apart.
Fund it with a small amount you can afford to lose
The balance in the agent's account limits what it can trade.
Read what the agent can see, not just where it can trade
Some connections give read access to all your accounts and history. Only connect AI apps whose data policies you accept.
Use the official connection method
Get the MCP address or app from the broker's or exchange's own docs, not from a post, ad or message.

Credentials

Use least-privilege API keys
Scope the key to the agent's account or portfolio only and enable only the permissions it needs.
No withdrawal or transfer permission unless you truly need it
Leave money-movement permissions off by default.
Never paste keys, passwords or 2FA codes into a chat
Sign in only on the provider's own sign-in page (OAuth) and keep secrets out of prompts, screenshots and shared docs.
Store keys safely
Use your OS keychain or a password manager, not a plain text file or a code repository.
Use an IP allowlist if offered
It can stop a leaked key from being used from other networks.
Rotate keys and remove ones you no longer use
Review your active keys and connections regularly.

Approvals and limits

Turn manual trade approval on
If the platform offers approvals, keep them on while you learn how the agent behaves. If it does not, tell the agent to preview and ask before every order.
Set position or spend limits where offered
Use any per-order, daily or budget limits the platform or AI app provides, including limits on paid API calls.
Start with paper trading or read-only questions
Test the connection with read-only requests, like listing accounts, before allowing any order.

Monitoring

Review order history regularly
Check the agent account's orders and fills on the broker's or exchange's own site or app.
Set alerts
Turn on order, fill and login notifications so you see activity quickly.
Keep a journal of what the agent did
Record agent activity so you can review it later.

Disconnect and revoke

Remove the connector in your AI app
Deleting a chat does not necessarily revoke access.
Revoke the connection on the provider's side
Look for connected apps or connections in the broker's or exchange's security settings.
Delete API keys you created for the agent
Revoke them in the provider's developer or API key settings.
Contact the provider's support if anything looks wrong
Use the support contact on the provider's official site.

Platform notes

Only from the official docs used in our setup guides, checked Oct 22, 2026. Settings can change; check the provider's docs.

Robinhood (Trading MCP)

You trade through a dedicated MCP account that Robinhood prompts you to open when you first authenticate. The agent can only trade there, but it gets read access to all your Robinhood accounts, positions, balances and transactions.
Robinhood says trade approvals are off by default for MCP accounts and are still rolling out. If you have the setting, turn it on in Agent Settings → Safety Controls.
Agents can trade crypto but cannot transfer, stake or lend it.
To disconnect, remove the Robinhood connector in your AI app.
Full steps: Robinhood Trading MCP setup guide.

Coinbase (Coinbase for Agents)

Coinbase recommends portfolio isolation: create a separate portfolio, fund it with only what you're willing to risk, and select only that portfolio on the approval screen or API key.
For the local CLI, scope the CDP API key to the agent portfolio. Coinbase's setup enables Trade and Transfer; Coinbase says Transfer only moves funds between your own portfolios. Enable only what you need, and prefer an IP allowlist. The key secret is shown once; never paste it into a chat.
Coinbase says the agent can work on its own or with your approval. Settled x402 payments can't be reversed, so set a budget before allowing them.
To disconnect: Coinbase Account → Security → Connections → revoke. Deleting a chat or local skill does not revoke access. For the CLI, delete the API key in the CDP Portal.
Full steps: Coinbase for Agents setup guide.

How we checked this

Sources: Robinhood: Onboarding an external agent and Trading with your agent; Coinbase: Coinbase for Agents overview; General items reflect common credential and account-security practice and our before-you-connect checklist.
Checked on: Oct 22, 2026
Not covered: Other brokers and exchanges, and features not in those docs. We did not test with a funded account.

Frequently asked questions

Who is this checklist for?

Anyone connecting an AI agent, such as Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Codex or Grok, to a broker or exchange account. It covers setup, credentials, approvals, monitoring and disconnecting.

Where are my checkmarks saved?

Only in your browser (localStorage) on this device. Nothing is sent to TraderStacks. Use Reset to clear them.

Does completing the checklist make agent trading safe?

No. It reduces some common risks, but agents can make mistakes and you can lose money. You are responsible for every trade your agent places. This is not investment advice.